khosq.com

This article shows an example how Azerbaijan is trying to spread its falsified interpretation of Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict history and inject Armenian phobia into the world public consciousness and the consciousness of its own people, discussing the events happened in Khojaly during winter 1992 . It will discuss Azerbaijan point of view and show already unmasked frauds in it.

The conflict between the Armenian desire for self-determination for Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan's insistence on its territorial integrity was violent between 1988 and 1994. Thousands of deaths and approximately 350,000 Armenian and 800.000 Azeri refugees resulted.
While the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is far from being settled, propaganda remains to be one of the major priorities for all participants of the Karabakh conflict.

       The necessity of shaping public opinion via mass media, in a way that any hostilities would enjoy support among the Azeri people and elicit the sympathy of a majority of foreign countries - became a priority for Azerbaijan’s propaganda machine. They trying to spread falsified interpretation of Armenian history and frauds concerning Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for achieving their initiatives and shifting conflict resolution in Azerbaijan's favour.
One example of how the Azerbaijan propaganda machine works are the events that happened in Khojaly in the winter of 1992 .

        In the 1950s Azerbaijanis began settling in Khojaly and by the early 1960s an Azerbaijani village of Khojaly had emerged next to the Armenian one. By 1977, no one talked about the Armenian Khojaly anymore. By 1989 Khojaly was already a completely Azerbaijani village with 1,661 Azerbaijani residents. (Hetq Online, March 19, 2007)
During the Nagorno-Karabakh war Khojaly had been serving as an artillery base and since 1992 February 23, was shelling Armenian and Russian units in the capital Stephanakert. By late February, Khojaly had largely been cut off . On February 26, Armenian forces, with the aid of armored vehicles in the 366th regiment , mounted an offensive to capture Khojaly.When the attack began, the attacking Armenian force easily outnumbered and overwhelmed the defenders who along with the civilians attempted to retreat north to the Azeri held city of Agdam.[1]
An exact body count was never ascertained but conservative estimates have placed the number to 485. The official death toll provided by Azerbaijani authorities for casualties suffered during the events of February 25–26 is 613 civilians, of them 106 women and 83 children.
A report published in 1992 by the human rights organization Helsinki Watch stated that their inquiry found that “the Azerbaijani OMON and the militia, still in uniform and some still carrying their guns, were interspersed with the masses of civilians which may have been the reason why Armenian troops fired upon them”.( Denber R. Bloodshed in the Caucasus: Escalation of the Armed Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh (New York: Helsinki Watch), September 1992, 19–21)

    Official Azerbaijani propaganda does not disdain to use any methods and means to display the Armenian side as the only party responsible for the tragedy. Moreover, Baku goes on circulating already unmasked frauds.
The NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs press service has recently drew the public’s attention to a forged photograph exposed in a number of Azerbaijan websites, including the website of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation , which is very respectable in Azerbaijan (www.azerbaijan.az). In fact, this photograph is directly connected with the events in Kosovo, but the propaganda machine of the neighboring republic tries to use it as a evidence to Baku’s version on mass killings of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly. This photograph along with a great number of the others was exhibited in one Serbian, one Albanian, and in one specialized German forum, in the internet-page of the newspaper “New York Times” etc. However, the mentioned undisguised fraud still remains on number of Azerbaijani sites, thus deluding those uninformed. Booklets with the same fraud are circulating all over the world.( www.nkr.am , news 2009 February16)
The Nagorno Karabagh Republic(NKR) Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MFA) Information Department point outs that on February 25-26, 1992, the Karabakh side launched a military operation to release the only airport of the republic, situated near Khojaly settlement and to neutralize the weapon emplacements of the enemy in Khojaly, from where since summer of 1991 the populated areas of Nagorno Karabakh had been regularly exposed to attacks of the Azerbaijani special police squads (OMON) and artillery bombardments. (Kaufman, Stuart (2001). Modern Hatreds: The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic War. New York: Cornell Studies in Security Affairs. pp. 49–66.)

       The release of the airport and neutralization of weapon emplacements of the enemy in Khojaly was of vital importance for the NKR people. The subunits of the NKR Defense Army granted a corridor to the peaceful population to safe and quickly leave the battle zone, and the Azerbaijani side was informed of them beforehand. Salman Abbasov a survived dweller of Khojaly says in his interview in a “BAKINSKI RABOCHI” newsletter

“Several days before the tragedy Armenians periodically informed as via radiophone that there are going to seize the city and demanded to leave. For long time helicopter resumed their flights to Khojaly, and it was not clear, does someone think about our fate, and does it interest someone. No any assistance practically we got. Moreover, when it was possible to evacuate women, children and elders, they convinced us to stay. They promised that soon an operation would be undertaken to seize Askeran and break the blockade of Khojaly. It did not happen… why to deceive us, why for our children died, who is responsible for that?”(Salman Abbasov ,BAKINSKI RABOCHI, Baku, 07. 03. 1992 ,translation from khosq.com)

        It is well-known that the NKR authorities informed the Azerbaijani side of preparation for the neutralization of the Khojalu weapon emplacements two months prior to the operation and that was repeatedly confirmed by the officials of Azerbaijan, in particular, by the then president Ayaz Mutalibov. However, the leadership of Azerbaijan did not undertake anything to help the peaceful population to leave the battle zone.
Elman Mamedov a Mayor of Khojalu Khojaly in 1992, says in his interview in a “BAKINSKI RABOCHI” newsletter

“We relied on the support of republic. Everyday we called to Aghdam, and every time they assured as: OK tomorrow we will carry out an operation to break the blockade. I asked to send helicopters to evacuate elder people, women and children. But the promised help did not come.” ( Elman Mamedov, Mayor of Khojaly, BAKINSKI RABOCHI, Baku, 29. 08. 1992. translation from khosq.com )

Moreover, a column of the peaceful population was shot at near the border of Aghdam region, which was later on confirmed by Mutalibov, who connected the crime with the opposition’s efforts to remove him from the office by making him responsible for everything.

“As the surviving Khojalu dwellers speak, all of that was organized to have a reason for my resignation. I do not think, that the Armenians, who have very precise and professional approach to similar situations, could allow Azerbaijanis to have documents denouncing them in fascist actions. It is possible to assume, that someone was interested in showing these shots later on the session of the Supreme Soviet and to blame me in all those things.” (Interview of President of Azerbaijan A. Mutalibov about Khojaly events NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA, 02. 04. 2004, translated by khosq.com)

The territory where subsequently many corpses were filmed is 3 kilometer(km) from Aghdam and 11 km from Khojaly. “Someone shot to the legs at first, in order not to allow fleeing .Then they were killed by ax.” says former president of Azerbaijan. A. Mutalibov [5].Up to the fall of Aghdam (summer 1993) this area was under permanent control of the Azerbaijani units, which excluded the access of the Karabakh self -defense units there.[1]

         Some details of this Khojaly military operation are far shrouded in mystery and official Baku tries using this circumstance to profit from it to gain its political goals.Every year from February to March special events commemorating those victims are held by the Azeri and Turkish communities, by different organizations which have one mission to inform as many foreigners as possible about “Armenian fascism and terror”.
Those activities are well planned to veil the Armenian campaign regarding the Sumgait massacre and Armenian Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan’s murder. During the year Turkey uses Khojaly as a card opposing the Great Armenian Genocide.

        When the Azeris began an outright military assault on the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh itself, they took up arms to defend their homes, their land, and their ancient culture.
One of the reasons why Azeris lost the war is that Azeri soldier demoralized and lacked a sense of purpose to fighting for this “Black Garden”. But the Armenians are fighting for self-preservation and for the right of self- determination.
Nobel Laureate Andrei Sakharov supported this view, famously stating
"For Azerbaijan the issue of Karabakh is a matter of ambition, for the Armenians of Karabakh, it is a matter of life or death."

      One of main goals of current Azeri propaganda to convince its new generation that Nagorno Karabagh is Azeri land. The land where Azeris live from paleonthropic period. The Armenians occupied it from them by force. And this in that case that before the 1930s’ Stalin reforms, the notion “Azerbaijanis” did not simply exist. (Dr. Farid Alekperli, Department Head at Azerbaijan’s National Academy of Sciences, “Who are We? Where do we come from, and Where do we Go”)

     Now their heroic and nationalistic history interpretations sound untrustworthy even for them. But new Azeri generation who being thought this history as implicit faith soon will have the answer of question why he must fight and die for that piece of soil.
From past years observations it seems that Armenia will not be able to sustain an arms race with Azerbaijan’s oil-fueled economy.The rapid growth of Azeri defense expenditures last years, driving the strong rearmament of the Azeri armed forces , the military balance appeared to be now shifting in Azerbaijan's favour.(Moscow Defense Brief,2008)
Both military advance and shaped public opinion could lead to the destabilization of the frozen conflict.

 Bibliography

1. Wikipedia , Nagorno-Karabakh War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Nagorno-Karabakh_War.htm viewed 10 Sep 2009

2. Griffin, Nicholas (2004). Caucasus: A Journey to the Land Between Christianity and Islam. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 185–186

3. "Sahil" Information and Research Center , Khojaly Tragedy
http://www.khojaly.net/index.html viewed 10 Sep 2009

4. Tatul Hakobyan ,Khojaly: The Moment of Truth
http://archive.hetq.am/eng/politics/0703-khojaly.html viewed 10 Sep 2009

5. Interview of President of Azerbaijan A. Mutalibov about Khojaly events NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA, 02. 04. 2004, translated by khosq.com

6. Dr. Farid Alekperli, Department Head at Azerbaijan’s National Academy of Sciences, “Who are We? Where do we come from, and Where do we Go”